Mr. Corinth had “made him acquainted” with numerous citizens who did not agree with the ruling caste on the matter of war. Their shades of opinion, however, were very complex, and Jimmie tired of arguing over trifles. Besides, when a person cannot have the friendship of those with whom he wishes to be friends, alternatives are seldom acceptable. The same principle held in the matter of female companionship. As Sarah had said, there were countless girls who would have rescued Jimmie from any doldrum at the slightest sign of a chance, girls, even, who were the daughters of isolationists but who considered matrimony more important than war, girls who were, as Audrey had said, “dashing daughters,” easily relished.
To them, he was polite and no more.
The glassed-in porch, one windy night, was occupied by a dozen people who had ranged themselves haphazardly around Mr. Corinth. Conversation flowed from him, sparked occasionally by a question or a phrase of disagreement. Jimmie listened, with the rest. His attention stiffened when Mr. Wilson idly sat down on the fringe of the group.
“I know it isn’t fashionable,” said Mr. Corinth, “but a woman is a man’s opposite.
Women are the opposite of men. Everything has an opposite that’s as real as it is. The very fashion itself—the fashion of thinking men and women are alike—will change too.
Because fashions are attitudes, and every social attitude that doesn’t take into consideration the law of opposites is bound to get turned upside down, sooner or later.”
“I don’t understand that,” said a Mrs. Clevebright.
Mr. Corinth turned amiably. “The people of this country understand the reconciliation of opposites better than most people. That’s because we recognize so many oppositions. We have a certain constitutional tolerance for them. The beginnings of wisdom. I mean this: oppositeness is a concept that is a lot broader than what we usually imply by it. It means more than left and right, up and down, day and night, zero and infinity, freedom and slavery. No activity follows from anything but opposition. You can’t get anywhere, fanning air. A bulge of steam has to have a resisting piston. Life itself is a struggle of opposites. And opposition means—complementariness. It means black and white—but also blue and orange. It’s the source of power—and it’s the way to learning how to regulate the flow and direction of power. The one abiding discovery, in the democratic theory, was the recognition of the validity of opposites. Without an opposition a government is a one-way job. Going one way only is always—going nowhere. You’ve got always to recognize both opposing truths. Take freedom and slavery, for instance—”
“Yeah,” said a voice. “Justify that!”
“I’m not justifying anything! I’m explaining it! Most of you people know by instinct anyway. That’s why we fight so hard for freedom of speech here—to maintain the necessary operation of opposing forces. All right. Take slavery and freedom. Every slave is freed of a vast responsibility. Every free man has to assume great duties. There go those opposites—working together. A lot of free Americans, these days, want to have also the slave’s irresponsibility. Can’t be. If they do abandon their obligations they’ll enslave themselves automatically to whatever they got in trade for the abdication: money—power—position—an absolute government—whatever.”